Driesell Dismisses 2 Jmu Players

Scholarship, Travel Dispute End Careers

Coach Lefty Driesell dismissed two seldom-used players from James Madison University's basketball team Thursday after a dispute involving scholarships and travel privileges.

Juniors Doug Lowrey and Alan Dorsey were dismissed after Driesell learned that they had talked to a reporter about Driesell's decision to leave them home from the team's season-opening trip to Hawaii last week.

"Fifteen minutes after we talked to the reporter, Coach Driesell's secretary called us to the office," said Dorsey, a graduate of Lafayette High School in Williamsburg. "I think the reporter talked to (Athletic Director) Dean Ehlers, and he (Ehlers) talked to Coach Driesell. He talked to us one at a time and said he wanted us to quit the team. He said he would recommend that we be allowed to keep our scholarships through next season."

Scholarships are renewed each July, and Ehlers said Thursday that Dorsey and Lowrey's grants will be renewed.

JMU currently has the NCAA-maximum 15 scholarship players, and only Claude Ferdinand is a senior. His scholarship for next season has been taken by this month's signing of Clayton Ritter.

According to Dorsey, Driesell suggested two weeks ago that Dorsey, Lowrey and Alex Clevinger, another seldom-used junior, transfer. When the players balked, Driesell said they could travel with the team if they gave up their scholarships.

When the players refused, Driesell left them home from the Hawaii trip, citing financial considerations. Clevinger was out of town Thursday, and his status was uncertain. He did not meet with Driesell on Thursday.

Driesell was unavailable for comment Thursday night, but told a Harrisonburg reporter before the team's 9 p.m., practice that no roster changes had been made.

"He'll lose 10 players after next season," Dorsey said. "He wanted us to give up our scholarships so he could bring in a couple of more new players for next season. He wanted to balance the scholarships out."

Dorsey, Clevinger and Lowrey were recruited by former JMU Coach John Thurston, and received limited time last season, Driesell's first at the school. Dorsey played 177 minutes in 23 games, Clevinger 188 in 17 and Lowrey just 17 in 11. The three did not play in either of the Dukes' two preseason exhibitions.

Driesell, a former coach at Maryland of the Atlantic Coast Conference, has been recruiting nationally-touted players that JMU previously had never courted.

"At this point, it's hard to tell exactly what Coach is thinking," Dorsey said. "I hope he won't go back on his word because of how it would reflect on him and the program. ...

"It's weird. I worked so hard through high school and went to prep school for a year because I really wanted to play college basketball. I realize my education comes first, but still, basketball is a big part of my life. To all of a sudden have that taken away from you is a strange feeling.

"Right now I don't know what to feel about Coach. When he told me I was so surprised I didn't know what to say to him. I still don't. I'm really lost."